[Joe McGuire]

I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word table (about
355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been updating for 2-3 years. It
is actually a table matching legal cases with their billing reference
numbers, with 1 case per row. Some other information about the case is also
stored in the different cells (columns) of each row, including the state
where the case is pending. The table is usually sorted alphabetically and
maintained that way. I usually make a copy of the table and sort it by
state, but without usually saving it as a separate table in the document.
Suddenly I am encountering this error message when I try to sort the whole
table or even a few rows: "Word cannot sort this table because all of its
rows are table headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become table
headings? I certainly have headings at the top of the table, but they do
not repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include the table headings
when sorting. I tried copying all but the last few paragraphs of the
document containing the table and pasting it into a blank document in case
the original had become corrupted, but this seemed to make no difference.
The problem appeared in Word 2002 (via MS Terminal Server) but I had the
same trouble trying to sort the table in Word 2003.

(Should I be using Excel for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to learn
how to use it but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with what I know)

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Joe,

Last things first: Yes, you really should transfer this table to Excel. It
won't take long to learn enough Excel to maintain a simple table like that.

In the meantime, on the theory that the table structure is corrupted and
that your previous attempt failed to clear the corruption, try this on a
copy of the document:

Select the table and choose Table Convert Table to Text. Assuming you
don't have any tab characters inside the table, you can accept all the
defaults and just click OK. The table will be converted to plain text, with
a tab between each pair of former cell contents and a paragraph mark at the
end of each row. Now select that whole mess and choose Table Convert
Text to Table. As a sanity check, the numbers of columns and rows should be
the same as the old table. Click OK, save, and try sorting the table. If
everything seems OK, use the copy to replace your damaged original document.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Joe McGuire wrote:
I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word table
(about 355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been updating for
2-3 years. It is actually a table matching legal cases with their
billing reference numbers, with 1 case per row. Some other
information about the case is also stored in the different cells
(columns) of each row, including the state where the case is pending.
The table is usually sorted alphabetically and maintained that way. I
usually make a copy of the table and sort it by state, but without
usually saving it as a separate table in the document. Suddenly I am
encountering this error message when I try to sort the whole table or
even a few rows: "Word cannot sort this table because all of its
rows are table headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become
table headings? I certainly have headings at the top of the table,
but they do not repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include
the table headings when sorting. I tried copying all but the last
few paragraphs of the document containing the table and pasting it
into a blank document in case the original had become corrupted, but
this seemed to make no difference. The problem appeared in Word 2002
(via MS Terminal Server) but I had the same trouble trying to sort
the table in Word 2003.
(Should I be using Excel for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to
learn how to use it but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with
what I know)

[Joe McGuire]

This worked very well, indeed. Thanks a million. Is there a handy way to
turn my table into an Excel spreadsheet?

(Now to learn some Excel!)


"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
Hi Joe,

Last things first: Yes, you really should transfer this table to Excel. It
won't take long to learn enough Excel to maintain a simple table like
that.

In the meantime, on the theory that the table structure is corrupted and
that your previous attempt failed to clear the corruption, try this on a
copy of the document:

Select the table and choose Table Convert Table to Text. Assuming you
don't have any tab characters inside the table, you can accept all the
defaults and just click OK. The table will be converted to plain text,
with a tab between each pair of former cell contents and a paragraph mark
at the end of each row. Now select that whole mess and choose Table
Convert Text to Table. As a sanity check, the numbers of columns and
rows should be the same as the old table. Click OK, save, and try sorting
the table. If everything seems OK, use the copy to replace your damaged
original document.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup
so all may benefit.

Joe McGuire wrote:
I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word table
(about 355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been updating for
2-3 years. It is actually a table matching legal cases with their
billing reference numbers, with 1 case per row. Some other
information about the case is also stored in the different cells
(columns) of each row, including the state where the case is pending.
The table is usually sorted alphabetically and maintained that way. I
usually make a copy of the table and sort it by state, but without
usually saving it as a separate table in the document. Suddenly I am
encountering this error message when I try to sort the whole table or
even a few rows: "Word cannot sort this table because all of its
rows are table headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become
table headings? I certainly have headings at the top of the table,
but they do not repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include
the table headings when sorting. I tried copying all but the last
few paragraphs of the document containing the table and pasting it
into a blank document in case the original had become corrupted, but
this seemed to make no difference. The problem appeared in Word 2002
(via MS Terminal Server) but I had the same trouble trying to sort
the table in Word 2003.
(Should I be using Excel for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to
learn how to use it but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with
what I know)

[Joe McGuire]

Well, I just cut and pasted the table into Excel so I'mm off and
running--and can terrorize a different BB with excel questions . . . Thanks
again


"Joe McGuire" wrote in message
...
This worked very well, indeed. Thanks a million. Is there a handy way to
turn my table into an Excel spreadsheet?

(Now to learn some Excel!)


"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
Hi Joe,

Last things first: Yes, you really should transfer this table to Excel.
It won't take long to learn enough Excel to maintain a simple table like
that.

In the meantime, on the theory that the table structure is corrupted and
that your previous attempt failed to clear the corruption, try this on a
copy of the document:

Select the table and choose Table Convert Table to Text. Assuming you
don't have any tab characters inside the table, you can accept all the
defaults and just click OK. The table will be converted to plain text,
with a tab between each pair of former cell contents and a paragraph mark
at the end of each row. Now select that whole mess and choose Table
Convert Text to Table. As a sanity check, the numbers of columns and
rows should be the same as the old table. Click OK, save, and try sorting
the table. If everything seems OK, use the copy to replace your damaged
original document.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup
so all may benefit.

Joe McGuire wrote:
I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word table
(about 355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been updating for
2-3 years. It is actually a table matching legal cases with their
billing reference numbers, with 1 case per row. Some other
information about the case is also stored in the different cells
(columns) of each row, including the state where the case is pending.
The table is usually sorted alphabetically and maintained that way. I
usually make a copy of the table and sort it by state, but without
usually saving it as a separate table in the document. Suddenly I am
encountering this error message when I try to sort the whole table or
even a few rows: "Word cannot sort this table because all of its
rows are table headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become
table headings? I certainly have headings at the top of the table,
but they do not repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include
the table headings when sorting. I tried copying all but the last
few paragraphs of the document containing the table and pasting it
into a blank document in case the original had become corrupted, but
this seemed to make no difference. The problem appeared in Word 2002
(via MS Terminal Server) but I had the same trouble trying to sort
the table in Word 2003.
(Should I be using Excel for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to
learn how to use it but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with
what I know)

[Jay Freedman]

LOL! I'm sure we'll see you again!

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Joe McGuire wrote:
Well, I just cut and pasted the table into Excel so I'mm off and
running--and can terrorize a different BB with excel questions . . .
Thanks again


"Joe McGuire" wrote in message
...
This worked very well, indeed. Thanks a million. Is there a handy
way to turn my table into an Excel spreadsheet?

(Now to learn some Excel!)


"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
Hi Joe,

Last things first: Yes, you really should transfer this table to
Excel. It won't take long to learn enough Excel to maintain a
simple table like that.

In the meantime, on the theory that the table structure is
corrupted and that your previous attempt failed to clear the
corruption, try this on a copy of the document:

Select the table and choose Table Convert Table to Text.
Assuming you don't have any tab characters inside the table, you
can accept all the defaults and just click OK. The table will be
converted to plain text, with a tab between each pair of former
cell contents and a paragraph mark at the end of each row. Now
select that whole mess and choose Table Convert Text to Table.
As a sanity check, the numbers of columns and rows should be the
same as the old table. Click OK, save, and try sorting the table.
If everything seems OK, use the copy to replace your damaged
original document. --
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

Joe McGuire wrote:
I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word
table (about 355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been
updating for 2-3 years. It is actually a table matching legal
cases with their billing reference numbers, with 1 case per row. Some
other information about the case is also stored in the
different cells (columns) of each row, including the state where
the case is pending. The table is usually sorted alphabetically
and maintained that way. I usually make a copy of the table and
sort it by state, but without usually saving it as a separate
table in the document. Suddenly I am encountering this error
message when I try to sort the whole table or even a few rows: "Word
cannot sort this table because all of its rows are table
headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become table headings?
I certainly have headings at the top of the table, but they do not
repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include the table
headings when sorting. I tried copying all but the last few
paragraphs of the document containing the table and pasting it
into a blank document in case the original had become corrupted,
but this seemed to make no difference. The problem appeared in
Word 2002 (via MS Terminal Server) but I had the same trouble
trying to sort the table in Word 2003. (Should I be using Excel
for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to learn how to use it
but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with what I know)

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You could start by selecting the entire table and clearing the "Repeat as
heading row" check box.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Joe McGuire" wrote in message
...
I have run into this problem for the first time. I have a Word table
(about
355kb, about 180 lines/rows) which I have been updating for 2-3 years. It
is actually a table matching legal cases with their billing reference
numbers, with 1 case per row. Some other information about the case is
also
stored in the different cells (columns) of each row, including the state
where the case is pending. The table is usually sorted alphabetically and
maintained that way. I usually make a copy of the table and sort it by
state, but without usually saving it as a separate table in the document.
Suddenly I am encountering this error message when I try to sort the whole
table or even a few rows: "Word cannot sort this table because all of its
rows are table headings." How the %^#(?!@ did all my rows become table
headings? I certainly have headings at the top of the table, but they do
not repeat on each page, and I certainly don't include the table headings
when sorting. I tried copying all but the last few paragraphs of the
document containing the table and pasting it into a blank document in case
the original had become corrupted, but this seemed to make no difference.
The problem appeared in Word 2002 (via MS Terminal Server) but I had the
same trouble trying to sort the table in Word 2003.

(Should I be using Excel for this??? I hope not. I keep meaning to learn
how to use it but I have this naaasty habit of sticking with what I know)